Folding chair



Aug; 7, 1956 MOORE ET AL 2,757,716

. FOLDING CHAIR Filed Dad. 22, 1954 IN V EN TOR-5 Li KPH L MOO/6547M F L G CHA Ezra 'L. Moore and Edmund Ludlow, Columbus, 1nd,, assignors to Arvin Industries, 'Inc., Columbus, Ind, a corporationof Indiana This invention relates to a folding "arm chair of the cross-leg type. It is an object of the invention to provide a chair which, when extended, will provide a comfortable seat, a back, and arms and which, when collapsed, will occupy but little space. 'Another object'of the invention is to produce a chair Whichcan be simply and economically manufactured from light-weight metal tubing and which will prove sturdy and durablei'n use.

In carrying out the invention in its preferred form, I employ three lengths of metal tubing 'each bent; into a general 'U-shape to provide'a'niu ediate portion and parallel side portions. in the st of such lengths "of tubing, the parallel side portions constitute front legs which provide support'for the rear end "of the seat, the rear ends of the arms, and a back, In the second length of tubing, the side portions constitute rear "legs which extend obliquely downwardly from points near the front edge of the seat and across the rear legs, the intermediate portion extending between and interconnecting the lower ends of the rear legs. "In the third "ler'igthof tubing, the parallel portions extend between "and are pivotally connected to the upper ends of the rear legs and the front ends of the arm, while the intermediate portion extends between the lower ends of the arm-supporting portions. The seat, which is of a fabric or like flexible material, is secured at'its'front edge tojthe intermediate stretch of the third tubularmembe'r and at its rear edge to a cross'member extending between "the front legs. As will be brought out in detail hereinafter, the arms and the tubular members are so constructed and arranged that when the chair is collapsed the arm supports will swing forwardly and downwardly, and the arms, armsupports, and rear legs brought approximately into a common plane.

The accompanying drawings illustrates the invention:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a chair in extended condition;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a chair in extended condition; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the chair in collapsed condition.

The preferred form of chair shown in the drawing comprises a first length of metal tubing bent into a general U-shape to provide an intermediate stretch and two parallel side stretches 11. Extending between and secured to the upper portions of the side stretches 11 is a chair-back 12 which may be of fabric, woven plastic, or similar material. Above the back 12, the side portions 11 may be bent to oifset the intermediate stretch 10 rearwardly with respect to the back 12. Throughout the vertical extent of the back and between the back and the rear edge of a seat 13, each of the side portions 11 is desirably straight; but near the rear edge of the seat 13, the side stretches are bent forwardly to form front legs 14 which extend obliquely downwardly to points beneath or beyond the front edge of the seat 13, Where their lower ends are adapted to engage a supporting surface. If desired, the lower ends of the front legs ited States Pat 2,757,716 Patented Aug, 7, 1956 2 14'may be provided with cup-like feet 15 of soft rubber or similar 'material.

A second length of metal tubing is bent into a general Ll-sha'pe to provide an intermediate stretch 20 and parallel side stretches 21 constitutting rear legs. The intermediate stretch 20 is adapted to rest on the floor or other supporting surface, while the side stretches extend obliquely upwardly and forwardly to points adjacent the front edg'efof the seat 13 crossing the front legs 14 to 'which they are pivotally connected as by means of bolts or "rivets '22. Preferably, flie rear legs 21 lie outside the respective front legs 14.

A third length of metal tubing bent into a general U- shape provides an intermediate portion 25 and parallel side portions 26, the latter serving to support the chair arms hereinafter described. As shown, the arm supports 26 lie inside the upper ends of the rear legs 21 and are pivotally mounted thereto by coaxial rivets or bolts located a short distance above the intermediate portion 25. The seat 13, which desirably is of fabric, woven "plastic or similar flexible material, is secured at its frontedge to 'the intermediate portion 25, while the rear edge of the seat is secured to a cross member 28 extending between and secured to the side stretches 1 1 of the first tubular member mentioned above.

Chair'arrns 30, conveniently of sheet metal, are pivotany connected near their front ends to the upper ends of the arm-supports 26 and at their rear ends to the side stretches 1 1. As shown, the front portion of each of the arms 30 is of L-shape 'in cross-section to providea vertical flange, which lies inside of and is pivotally connected to the upper of the associated arm-supports 26 *byapivot pin or bolt 31, and a generally horizontal flange forming an arm rest. Near its rear end, the horizontal-flange in the arm support 30 is provided with adownwa'rdly bent ear 3 2 which extends rearwardly into overlapping relation with the side-stretch 11 to which it is pivotally connected as by a rivet orbolt 33.

When the chair as described is in extended condition, as shown in Fig. 2, the weight of the chair-occupant tends to swing the front and rear legs 14 and 21 relatively to each other in a direction which would increase the distance between their lower'ends and also the distance between their upper ends. While such swinging of the legs would be limited by the introduction of tension into the seat 13, the possibility that the seat will stretch makes it advisable to provide a more positive means for limiting relative swinging of the rear and front legs. For this purpose, the chair shown in the drawing embodies on each side a pair of links 35 and 36 of metal or like rigid material. One end of each link 35 is connected to the front leg 14 below the point of pivotal interconnection of the legs, while its other end is pivotally connected to one end of the link 36. The opposite end of each link 36 is pivotally connected to the rear leg 21 at a point below the pivotal interconnection of the front and rear legs. By swinging relatively to each other about their point of pivotal interconnection, the links permit the chair to be collapsed.

To collapse the chair from the condition shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3, the front and rear legs are swung about the common axis of the rivets 22 to bring their lower ends toward each other. In this swinging movement of the legs, the axis of the rivets 27 passes rearwardly through the common plane of the axis of the rivets 22 and 31, and the arm supports 26 swing forwardly and downwardly until they and the arms 30 closely approach the plane of the front legs 21, as will be clear from Fig. 3. To make this condition possible, the sum of the distance between the pivot pins 22 and 27 and the distance between the pivot pins 31 and 32 should approximately equal the sum of the distance between the pivot pins 27 and 31 and the distance between the pivot pins 22 and 33. To reduce the distance between the lower ends of the front and rear legs when the chair is collapsed while, at the same time, providing an adequate distance between such lower leg-ends when the chair is extended, the front legs 14 are preferably bent downwardly at or adjacent the pivots 22. In completely collapsed condition, the entire chair occupies substantially no more space than does the first tubular element 101114 above.

It will be noted from Fig. 2 that any rearward deflection of the member 10-11 under pressure exerted on the back 12 by an occupant of the chair will be transmitted through the arms 30 to the member 2526 and will tend to rotate such member in a clockwise direction about the axis of the pins 27. If, as is preferred, the armsupports slope upwardly and rearwardly, downward pressure on the arms 30 will likewise tend to rotate the member 25-26 in a clockwise direction. By locating the pins 27 above the plane of the stretched seat, as

shown, any tendency of the member 25-26 to swing in a clockwise direction will be opposed by an increase in tension in the seat. If the axis of the pivot pins 27 was located below the seat, rearward pressure on the back 12 and downward pressure on the arms 30 would tend to introduce objectionable slack into the seat.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a collapsible chair, a seat of flexible material, a back, a rigid structure secured to the rear edge of said seat and extending generally upwardly therefrom to support said back, said rigid structure including a pair of front legs extending obliquely forwardly and downwardly below said seat, a pair of rear legs extending obliquely rearwardly and downwardly below said seat and crossing said front legs, means pivotally interconnecting the front and rear legs on a first horizontal axis, arms extending generally horizontally above said seat and pivoted to said rigid structure on a second horizontal axis, arm-supports pivotally mounted on a third horizontal axis to said rear legs near the upper ends thereof and to said arms on a fourth horizontal axis near the front ends of the arms, the sum of the distance between said first and sec ond axes and the distance between said third and fourth axes being approximately equal to the sum of the distance between said first and third axes and the distance between said second and fourth axes, said arm-supports, in

the collapse of the chair, being swingable forwardly and downwardly to'bring said four axes approximately into a common plane, said arm-supports constituting parallel side stretches of a length of metal tubing bent into a general U-shape and including an intermediate portion interconnecting the lower ends of said arm-supports, the front edge of said seat being secured to said intermediate portion.

2. In a chair, crossed pairs of pivotally interconnected front and rear legs, a back support formed by rigid continuations of said front legs, a back supported from said back support, a U-shaped tubular member having a horizontal intermediate portion and generally parallel side portions constituting arm-supports, said arm supports being pivotally connected on a common axis to said rear legs near the upper ends thereof, arms pivotally connected to said arm supports and back support, a rigid cross-member extending between said front legs, and a seat secured to and extending between said cross member and the intermediate portion of said tubular member.

3. In a chair having front and rear legs, a back support, and a back, arm-supports pivotally connected to rear legs on a horizontal axis and projecting upwardly and rearwardly therefrom, arms extending between and connected to the back support and the upper ends of said arm supports, a flexible seat secured to and extending forwardly from said front legs, and means connecting the front edge of said seat to said arm supports at an elevation below said axis.

4. In a chair having front and rear legs, a back support, and a back, arm-supports pivotally connected to rear legs on a horizontal axis and projecting generally upwardly therefrom, arms extending between and con nected to the back support and the upper ends of said arm supports, a flexible seat secured to and extending forwardly from said front legs, and means connecting the front edge of said seat to said arm supports at an elevation below said axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 84,344 Collignon Nov. 24, 1868 170,503 Alexander Nov. 30, 1875 2,348,633 Komaska May 9, 1944 2,709,481 Budai May 31, 1955 

